An Cosantóir

10 | world strategic picture EUROPE In May, the biggest security operation ever seen in Ireland was put into place for the state visits of Queen Elizabeth II and US President Barak Obama. More than 6,000 Gardai and troops where deployed mainly around Dublin, Kildare, Tipperary, Offaly and Cork as the visiting dignitaries toured some of Ireland’s historical sites. The Defence Forces deployed surface to air missile systems and armed aircraft to deter any attack from the air, while the Gardai detained a number of suspected Republican dissidents and Irish-based Islamic terrorist sympathisers. Ireland’s special forces, the Army Ranger Wing were on high alert and the Army’s bomb disposal experts dealt with a number of viable and hoax devices. The overall cost for the security is estimated at €30 million. Eight people died and hundreds were injured in and around the southern Spanish city of Lorca. Following the 5.1-magnitude quake on May 11th, the Spanish emergency services including the army were immediately sent in to search for any survivors and to provide shelter to those left homeless. It was the worst earthquake the country has experienced in nearly 30 years. An Cosantóir June 2011 ASIA The Japanese authorities have admitted that one of the reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant did suffer a meltdown. Engineers from the Tokyo Electric Power Company entered the No1 reactor in May and were alarmed to find that the top few feet of the core’s fuel rods had been exposed to the air and melted down. Company officials are worried that radioactive fuel may have burned a hole through the bottom of the containment vessel, causing water to leak. In response, Greenpeace confirmed that significant amounts of radioactive material was released and samples of seaweed taken from the surrounding sea was found to contain radiation levels well above legal limits. Meanwhile in China, the government there has started rationing electricity to try and stave off an energy shortage. State-owned power generating companies are dealing with high global energy prices that have cut their profits and China has banned the export of diesel in an effort to meet domestic demand. The rising coal costs, coupled with a drop in hydropower output this year means that the shortage could be much worse than previous years. The China Electricity Council reported that the country’s five biggest power producers in 2011 have already sustained losses of over $1.62 billion. In revenge for the killing of Osama bin Laden by US special forces, the Pakistani Taliban struck with two suicide bomb attacks on a military training centre that left over 80 recruits dead and countless more injured. The bombers struck in the early morning outside the training centre in Shabqadar, in the northwest of Pakistan. Meanwhile, one of Bin Laden’s wives captured in the raid has told interrogators that the al-Qa’ida leader had lived in Pakistan for the last seven years. Her disclosure has deeply embarrassed the Pakistani government, which is under pressure to explain how no one in its country’s security services knew Bin Laden was living in Abbottabad. AMERICAS The FBI in a series of arrests detained a number of Islamic terror suspects in May they believed to have conspired to a conspiracy to kill, injure and kidnap people abroad and that they provided support to the Pakistani Taliban. In Florida, Hafiz Khan and his son, Izhar Khan were arrested, while another son of Hafiz Khan, Irfan was arrested in LA. In Pakistan, other family members, Amina Khan (Khan’s daughter) and Zeb his grandson were also charged on similar crimes. All charges relate to alleged crimes committed between 2008 and 2010 but the arrests were not linked to the killing of Osama bin Laden. Also in the US, opinion polls show that US President Obama was given a boost in his ratings following Osama bin Laden’s death. The president has commenced his 2012 re-election campaign, though he still faces considerable criticism because of his handling of the economy. MIDDLE EAST On May 15th, the state of Israel was for a short time invaded by Arab protesters along three of its borders on the 63rd anniversary of the foundation of the Israeli state. Protesters broke down boundary fences and crossed from the Palestinian territories, Syria and Lebanon waving flags and shouting slogans condemning Israel. The Israeli Army reaction was swift, as they contained the incursion by using tear gas and live ammunition to push back the protestors. Some 12 Arab protestors were reported killed and dozens injured. Later in Egypt, police, again using live fire and tear gas had to disperse a large protest outside the Israeli embassy in Cario. In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped ‘calm and quiet would quickly return, but let nobody be mistaken, we are determined to defend our borders and sovereignty’.

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